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NCAAF Picks

Road Favorites Offering Value for Thursday's VTech vs. Pittsburgh

The Panthers have fizzled out in a big way after an impressive start to their season, and now they have to contend with a solid Virginia Tech program. As the college football betting favorites, the Hokies appear to hold good value despite being on the road.

Odds Overview
At this time, the Hokies are favored by 2.5 points, but there's still a few days left for the odds to shift even more. We wouldn't be shocked in the least to see the line move to that key number of three.

There has still yet to be a total posted for the game, so keep check backing with our updated odds page to get the latest scoop on the numbers. It's an invaluable tool to see all of the college football betting odds in one easy-to-read place.

Pittsburgh Panthers
Things were looking great for the Panthers through the first few weeks of the season. They were undefeated and had won each of their games by double figures.

However, they've fallen off considerably, losing three straight heading into Thursday night's all-important matchup. After consecutive setbacks at home to Iowa and Akron, Pittsburgh then lost by five at Virginia two weeks ago. What a sudden turnaround it's been for the reeling Panthers.

Against the Cavaliers, Pittsburgh was able to fight back after going down 24-3 at one point. The Panthers completely dominated the second half, out-scoring Virginia 16-0, but it still wasn't enough to get the win. That being said, perhaps that new-found momentum from the comeback can be carried over into this week's game against Virginia.

Individually, QB Chad Voytik threw for 195 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, with J.P. Holtz and Manasseh Garner each reaching the end zone. On the ground, James Conner was held relatively in check, only running for 83 yards on 21 carries. Given the way he's been performing, you have to credit Virginia for showing up in the trenches to keep Conner from running all over them.

So here we are. Pittsburgh has lost three in a row and will obviously be desperate to avoid another loss, especially at home. The Panthers have been good defensively, allowing only 19.0 points a game, and they've also had success on the ground, averaging 243.8 rushing yards per game. They'll look to focus on their strengths against Virginia Tech this Thursday.

Virginia Tech Hokies
After losing two straight, the Hokies have responded the right way, winning easily over both Western Michigan (35-17) and North Carolina (34-17). They now stand at 4-2 on the season.

Virginia Tech's solid defense stood out again against the Tar Heels, holding the hosts to three points through three quarters before some late, meaningless points in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.

Offensively, QB Michael Brewer had 186 passing yards with one touchdown pass and one interception, with Bucky Hodges the recipient of the scoring play.

It was a heavy focus on the run for the Hokies against UNC's reeling defense, as they ran 57 times for 171 yards and two scores. Trey Edmunds and Marshawn Williams got most of the work, combining for 32 carries, 101 yards and a touchdown.

As we've gotten used to seeing though, Virginia Tech really locked things down defensively, forcing three turnovers, which included a returned interception for a touchdown. The Hokies have surrendered an average of 19.8 points per game thus far this season, putting them a shade below Pittsburgh in that category.

College Football Pick
This should be your typical grind-it-out game in this ACC battle between the Panthers and Hokies. Who do we like to win?

While the UNDER also holds appeal, we ultimately are siding with Virginia Tech to cover as our top college football pick for Thursday night. The Hokies have momentum on their side right now and have their sights set on moving up the ladder in the conference standings.

Pittsburgh should be able to put up a fight, but with our college football picks, let's go with Virginia Tech on the road.